Letters To The Editor

The only interstate highway on the lower Peninsula, I-64 is "kaput." This is no surprise to those of us who commute daily over this crowded, cracked, potholed, perpetually under construction highway.

I warned Hampton officials 14 years ago that this was coming. Why Hampton? Well, at the time the ranking, most important Virginia state senator happened to reside there.

Nothing happened. We're gridlocked daily on I-64 going both directions. And I-664, VDOT's alternative to the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, is so crowded with tractor-trailers that it's almost too dangerous to drive when they dominate the road.

I observed an automobile spin around and crash to a halt against the "Jersey" barrier on I-664 apparently after being nudged in the back bumper by a tractor-trailer.

At certain times of the day tractor trailers dominate the interstate. They drive too close, drive to the left too much, they cause debris to be thrown onto the highways as they drive to the left alongside Jersey barriers and their convoys dominate the highways such that mixing lesser vehicles with them poses great risks.

When the 150-truck-a-day deluge begins from Wal- Mart distribution center in James City County, we'll really be in trouble.

What's it going to take to speed up the renovation of our only interstate road on the lower Peninsula? Well for starters, maybe our silent (stealth?) State Sen. Tommy Norment might come forth to invigorate the process.

It's going to take a minor rebellion from folks who are about to be hurt in the pocketbook.

Tourists are not going to waste their time and money to come here regardless of the attractions when they have to spend most of their time fighting traffic on our inadequate, potholed, crowded, dangerous interstate highway.

Jim Waldeck

James City County

No live prizes

The Reithoffer Shows carnival at Newmarket gave away baby bunnies as game prizes. With People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals located nearby and a busy SPCA filled with dumped animals, you would think our own little area of Hampton Roads would be more enlightened than to permit live animals as prizes.

The bunnies may be the federally allowed age of 8 weeks old, but it is doubtful, because soon an 8- week-old rabbit will no longer be a cute cuddly prize but a sexually mature, spraying, mounting, territorial adolescent rabbit.

Then there are the many local day care centers that annually invite Richmond area photographers to place a bunny in the arms of children from birth and up for what is supposed to be a charming portrait. How many people who love this idea realize that rabbits nip, scratch and bite, even if they don't care one bit that the rabbit is being handled by hundreds of preschool children?

Does anyone believe it is a good idea to give away animals as prizes or have them handled incessantly by preschoolers?

The USDA and the Humane Society of the United States last month issued information on the U.S. outbreak of the highly contagious Rabbit Viral Hemmoragic Disease (VHD), communicated by animal and human vectors. It guarantees violent death to domestic rabbits.

How horrible it would be for a rabbit carrying the disease to have contact with an unsuspecting young day care child or fair goer who then carries the virus (which does not harm humans or other animals) on their clothing or shoes.

Day care centers; stop teaching children that animals are nothing more than moneymaking photo opportunities. Fair goers, skip the live prize games and explain why.

Ruthann Grabowski

Yorktown

Taking birds abroad

Several military families on orders to another country have had problems recently in taking their pet birds with them because of U.S. regulations.

The primary reason was the requirement to submit an application for a permit, at least 60 days in advance, to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife's Office of Management Authority.

Some nations also have requirements for which persons need to get answers. It applies to non- military families as well. Many pet owners do not realize the requirements, which have been in effect since 1992.

Bird Clubs of America has published two easy-to- read and graphic pages concerning "Traveling abroad with your pet bird," which also addresses getting new pet birds in those countries, and "Requirements for U.S.-origin returning birds," which explains avoiding a costly federal quarantine.